The NY Amazings Win Again

In last night’s 5-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves, prized rookie Ike Davis launched a 450+ foot homerun into the concession stands at Citi Field, Mets shortstop Jose Reyes, who has been a leadoff hitter his entire career, batted third, and, well, in short, everything went right for the struggling New York Mets.

With men on first and second with one out, Reyes popped up to Atlanta third baseman Chipper Jones. The infield fly rule was put into effect, meaning Reyes was automatically out. However, Jones and shortstop Omar Infante collided. The ball popped out of Jones’s mitt. Pagan and Mets second baseman Luis Castillo advanced the extra base. Braves catcher Brian McCann scooped the ball up and launched the ball to first for no apparent reason. Because McCann was out by the pitcher’s mound, nobody was covering home plate. Pagan, about as fast and explosive as a healthy Reyes, made a mad dash towards the plate. He dove in safely. Then, after a Jason Bay walk, David Wright singled home Castillo. The Mets led 5-2. They didn’t allow another run to cross the plate.

On Friday night, the final score from Citi Field was Braves 2, Mets 5. The New York Mets had won their fourth out of five. They were finally beginning to play like the New York Mets.

The Braves struck first on a Jones RBI single. Ike Davis answered two innings later with a lead-off mammoth blast to begin the bottom of the fifth. In the following inning, Reyes and Jason Bay tripled back-to-back before David Wright blasted a deep sacrifice fly. Atlanta struck again in the top of the seventh as Martin Prado singled in Infante.

After the exciting, unpredictable bottom of the seventh, in which the Mets took a 5-2 lead, Pedro Feliciano no-hit the Braves in the eighth. After the Mets failed to score in the bottom half of the eighth, Rodriguez earned the save after receiving a scare, allowing two baserunners with the top of the order up.

Then, today, Manuel stuck with the same lineup, only replacing Castillo and Rod Barajas with Alex Cora and Henry Blanco. It worked as the Mets were able to sail past the Braves,
3-1.

Jonathon Niese was superb, striking out five through six innings of work. He was set for the loss before Bay doubled in Reyes, who walked and stole second. Then, after reliever Manny Acosta mowed down the Braves one-two-three in the top of the seventh, the Mets struck for two runs in the bottom half. It started when Ike Davis walked to lead off. Jeff Francoeur then tripled off the base of the wall in deep right. Davis scored. Then, Blanco flied out to shallow left. But, after a terrible throw by Braves left fielder Matt Diaz, Bay came into score.

The bullpen was solid again as, after a perfect seventh inning by Acosta, Fernando Nieve and Pedro Feliciano combined to shut down the Braves in the eighth. Rodriguez, then, got the save by shutting down the Braves in the ninth. The Mets, improving to 9-9, secured their second straight series win. They have won five of their last six.

The Mets, led by an unknown bullpen and rookie hitting, are eventually starting to play like the Amazings. So, even though the Mets have struggled of late, this mini win streak puts the Amazings right back in the thick of things.